Where The Wild Things Are
by EmeraldLily16
Summary: Two human boys from different races become lost in a jungle and are raised by animals. They grow up as brothers and upon reaching adulthood they find themselves hunted by men, captured by love, and caught in the middle of a war where their relationship is put to the test.
1. Chapter 1

**This au was inspired by movies and films such as The Jungle Book, Tarzan, The Fox and The Hound, and by the history of early settlements. In this Alvarez**** is designed off of India and Fiore is designed off of England.**

Life is a spinning wheel it has been said. With each spoke, a tale to be told. So keep silence along the banks, and I will tell you one of these tales.  
A story as enchanting as the jungle itself.

It is about pride and power and war. It is about fangs and claws and talons. But mostly, it is about love and family.

Magnolia was a glorious jungle surrounded by plenty of flora and fauna. The plants and the trees came first but it was the animals who ruled the jungle. Two animal species in particular were superior to all the others. The dragons and the tigers. A powerful and strong species who could hunt and fight better than any other animal in all Magnolia. But what made them especially different was that they could change their bodies to more anthropomorphic forms, they still looked like animalistic but they had a few body parts similar to humans. In the beginning it was just them and the other animals but then the native people started to appear on the land and a village grew in the heart of the jungle. A village called Alvarez.

The people there, called the Alvarians lived off the land by collecting and growing edible plant life and hunting animals for food and material. The dragons and tigers were an especially sought after target for them. They killed the dragons for their meat to eat and they killed the tigers for their fur to keep them warm. One male dragon called Jellal managed to escape the village but he lost his wings in the process. A wound he would never completely recover from and because of that he developed at hatred for humans.

When he passed out from his injuries in the jungle he was found by a female tiger called Erza. She tended to his wounds and nursed him back to health. They fell in love and became mates. They were happy together but as time went by Erza began to long for young to raise and care for unfortunately because she and her mate were different species they couldn't bear offspring together. Erza acted like that she was okay with not being a mother but Jellal knew that it was what she wanted more than anything in the world.

But we'll get back to them later now I must tell you about the village of Alvarez. The Alvarians were native to the land and the vote marks on their skin that was either red, orange, yellow, or pink. A peaceful race who respected the laws of the jungle. They never killed for more than what they needed. They only killed what they needed to live. However things changed when the settlers of a continent known as Fiore came to their land.

The settlers known as the Fiorians also bore marks on their skin but their marks were either green, blue, purple, or black. They had been sent in search of new land but when they arrived they were weak, starving, and ill. Many had died on the journey. The Alvarians pitied the Fiorians so they welcomed them with food, water, and natural remedies to cure their alignments. The two races became friends and they never sought for anything less. But as the years went by resources started to become scarce due to so many humans living off the land. Tensions rose, the Fiorians sought more land and the Alvarians stopped giving in hopes that it would drive them away.

Both sides contemplated war, the chief of Alvarez and the captain of the Fiore settlers didn't want any unnecessary blood shed so both leaders decided to negotiate and compromise. But all idea of that was quickly lost when an Alvarian priest and his wife were poisoned by drug native only to Fiore. The chief blamed the captain and the priest's first born son Zeref wanted revenge. He was chosen to lead the chief's warriors in battle against the Fiore settlement.

Hatred took on a life of it's own. The spark of vengeance ignited the flames of battle. A war unlike any other broke out between the two races who had once been such good allies.

One attack in particular took place about eighteen years ago, on a quiet night. The Alvarian warriors hid in the trees and their bodies had war paint on them to help them blend in with the night. In a tent Zeref was making some last minute adjustments to his weapon. He had just finished coating his arrows in a deadly poison when he heard his baby brother Etherious fussing.

"There, there Etherious. Don't be afraid, I won't let those Fiorians hurt you." He said gently to the infant. "And tonight they will pay for taking Mother and Father from us."

He then pulled out a scarf that resembled dragon scales and used it to tuck it into the infant's basket cradle.

"Do you remember when Mother made this for you?" He asked his brother. "Probably not. You weren't even out her womb yet when she started making it...It breaks my heart that you will never know how much she and Father loved you."

His brother only yawned and dozed off. Zeref kissed his head and went to lead the warriors into battle but not before making sure that one warrior stayed behind to protect his brother. Little Etherious meant the world to Zeref. Now that his parents were gone he was the only family he had left. He remembered that awful day when he came home from a hunt to find his mother already dead from the poison and his father barely alive. Before he drew his lat breath he had made Zeref promise to protect his brother no matter what. From that day on ward Zeref was determined to do whatever it took to keep his little brother safe and he believed the best way to keep him safe was to remove these Fiorians.

Meanwhile in the Fiore settlement, a young couple lived inside a small house with their baby son. The father made money by cutting and selling wood, his wife stayed at home and tended to their baby. Tonight she was just sitting in her chair reading when she heard her baby crying. She picked him up and began trying to soothe him.

"It's okay. Don't cry, don't cry. Mother's here."

She sat back in her chair and opened a music box that was on a desk. As the melody played she started to rock back and forth, cradling her baby boy in her arms.

"Is he asleep yet?" Her husband asked walking inside the house.

"Yes Silver." She told him.

He kissed his wife then kissed his son.

"My boy. I can already tell that you will do great things one day and to prove it I'm going to give you this." He took off the silver chain he wore a neck that bore a pendent that resembled a sword with a stone in it and placed it around his son's neck.

They were both about to tuck him into his crib when suddenly they heard the sound of a gun being fired followed by an arrow the came flying into their window.

"What was that?" The wife asked.

"Stay inside Mika." Her husband grabbed his gun and went outside to find Alvarians and Fiorians fighting each other. He quickly went to join in the fighting.

It wasn't until she heard her husband shouting in agony that she looked out the door to see the man she loved lying on the ground with a knife in his chest. Before he died he weakly turned to his wife and said.

"Run. Take our son and run away."

The sounds of screams and gunshots echoed all through out the night. Blood stained the ground and there were many corpses. The battle ended in a stalemate and Zeref was forced to retreat with his men but when he returned to his tent he found his brother gone and the warrior he had left to protect him lying on the ground with a fatal gunshot wound.

"What happened?! Where is my brother?!" Zeref demanded with fear in his voice.

"A Fiorian..." The dying warrior breathed. "He said you killed his brother...He wanted to make you suffer as he did so he...He threw the boy into the river...I tried to stop him but I... Forgive me...I failed you."

Zeref raced toward the river as fast he could praying that he wouldn't be too late. He dove into the icy cold water, desperately searching for him but he couldn't find Etherious. The infant had disappeared.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning a female tiger with red fur had gone out for a swim in the river. After she was finished she went to stretch and her form changed to take the form of a woman with long red hair, fangs, claws, and a tail. She was Erza, the tiger I hand mentioned earlier. Every morning before hunting for her breakfast she would always take a swim in the river then lie out in the sun to dry.

Once her body had dried off she prepared to change back into her original form and start hunting when the silence of the jungle was broken by an unusual sound. She followed the strange noise to the edge of the river. The source of it was a basket which contained a salmon haired baby inside. When he saw her the infant stopped crying and smiled. Erza recognized him as a human in the early stages of life. She quickly looked around, believing that since there was a human baby here then it's parents wouldn't be far behind.

She didn't see any other humans. Was this baby alone? Had it been abandoned by it's family? Who would be so cruel as to abandon a baby in the jungle? It was none of her concern. She should just leave it alone. But when Erza started to leave the baby began to cry again and it didn't stop until she came back.

She picked it up but was careful not to harm it with her claws. Looking inside the cloth that covered it's lower area she realized that he was male and she found out that he was hungry too because when the clothing on her upper body started to slip off he immediately started sucking on her bosom for milk. Once he had his fill he gave a tiny burp and giggled a little. She was surprised by how adorable he was. She had always thought of humans as frightening monsters, never once did she think that they could be cute.

She then saw something lying on the ground just a little ways from where they were. Curious, she laid the baby back in the basket and went closer to the figure. It was a human woman who was fatally injured. In her arms she held a baby boy with black hair. She lifted her head up and when she saw Erza she thought that she was a human like herself. Using whatever strength she had left she kissed her baby on the head one last time and pushed him toward Erza.

"Save him." She said with her last breath. "Save my baby."

Although Erza did not understand the woman's language she understood what was happening. She was dying and she was trying to find someone to care for her child before she could die. The black haired baby then started to cry as if he could sense that his mother's life was no more. Erza took him into her arms and hushed him softly while cradling him close to where he could hear her heart beat. He gave a little yawn and fell asleep in her arms.

He was male just like the other one and they were both all alone. They had no family to take care of them. If they were left here they would surely die.

"I can't just leave you two here by yourselves."

She placed him in the basket next to the other baby and carried the basket to the den where she lived with her mate Jellal. He was a blue dragon but upon entering the den he took the form of a man with short blue hair, fangs, scales, and talons.

"What's in the basket?" He asked her.

"Now don't get upset Jellal." Erza told him.

He looked inside the basket and sniffed the two infant boys skeptically. Then stepped back from them.

"What are those things?"

"Now calm down. They're just babies."

"Get rid of them!"

"I can't get rid of them. I found them. I think this one was abandoned and the other one's mother died."

"So?"

"So they're all alone."

"Erza they're human. Humans hunt us! They're dangerous!"

"Grown humans are dangerous but these two are harmless. What do you propose I do with them?"

"Leave them in the jungle."

"They won't last a day alone in the jungle. No I'm keeping them."

"Just what exactly do you plan to do with them?"

"Raise them."

"Raise them?! Are you insane?!"

"If I can mate with a dragon then why can't I raise two human babies?"

"Erza I know you want to be a mother and it breaks my heart that I can't give you a child but you just can't take in two human young."

"Why not?"

"Because they won't be that way forever. Sure they're small and harmless now but eventually they'll grow up and hunt us."

"You don't know for sure if they'll hunt us when they grow up."

"Have you forgotten what the humans have done to us? How they've almost wiped out both of our species? How they stole my wings?"

"No I haven't and I never will forget. Jellal I know what those humans did to you hurt you and it was horrible that they slaughtered our species but these two have done nothing to us. Why should they die because of the mistakes of others?"

"I will not care for a human's offspring."

"Then I will care for them alone."

"I won't allow you to do that Erza."

"I don't need your permission to take care of them."

"If I must I will take them from you by force and leave them somewhere in the jungle."

"Then I'll fight you!" She growled. "And if I fail then I'll leave you!"

Jellal roared at her, Erza roared back, Jellal could tell by the fierce protective look in her eyes that she meant every word she had spoken. Jellal hated humans but he loved Erza more so not wanting to lose his mate he reluctantly caved in.

"Very well you can keep them. But they're your responsibility not mine! Now I'm going hunting."

He changed back into his dragon form and left. Erza huffed at her mate then smiled back at the two babies in the basket.

"Don't worry his growl is worse than his bite. In time he'll grow to like you. You'll see."

The salmon haired baby started to feel cramped so he began to try and push the black haired baby out of the basket but he just tried to push him back. Soon they were both fighting to push the other out.

"Hey no fighting you two."

She broke up the fight and held both of them in her arms.

"Now let's see what shall I call you?"

She looked over at the first infant she found.

"I don't know the exact day of your birth but I can tell that you were born in the summer so I'll call you Natsu."

She then turned to the second child.

"You have such beautiful gray eyes so I will call you Gray. Natsu and Gray, my boys."

She held them close until they fell asleep then she carefully placed them both in the basket, used the scarf she found in the basket as a cover to keep them warm, and gave them each a kiss. She was so happy. For the longest time she had been praying for a chance to be a mother and she thought that it would never happen. She and Jellal had tried many times to have offspring and she had gotten pregnant once but she miscarried. Since she and Jellal were of a different species they couldn't possibly have a natural family. But then a miracle happened. She found not one but two lost babies in need of a mother. They were hers. Her boys. And she would love them and raise them as her own.


	3. Chapter 3

Erza proved herself to be a good mother to Natsu and Gray. She nursed them and kept them warm. When they got older she taught them how to hunt, track, and fight. How to speak the language of the animals and follow the law of the jungle but most importantly she taught them how to adapt. Despite being born human the boys learned to adapt animal like qualities.

Natsu had developed the strength and senses of the dragon while Gray developed the speed and agility of the tiger. They were also very resourceful and creative. Like once Gray made a spear to help him get fruit when he couldn't climb far enough to reach it and another time Natsu made a cup like object that allowed him to draw water from the river when it was too crowded for him to find a place to drink from. They didn't wear clothes but they felt the need to hide their lower bodies so occasionally when a storm would blow stray pieces of clothing from the village of Alvarez or the Fiore settlement they would take them and use them to their advantage.

Natsu once caught a stray old brown vest caught in a tree. He folded it and made it into a loincloth. Gray found some black pants floating down the river. Using his spear he cut them to make shorts. Erza would also wear bits of stray human clothing to cover her female parts but only when she was in her more anthropomorphic form.

Both boys were incredible fighters though they weren't nearly as good as their adopted mother and they were rather rambunctious and mischievous boys. Always getting into fights and causing trouble whenever Erza's back was turned but like most good mothers she was always one step ahead of her boys.

For example this morning Erza had just come back from a swim and was in the middle of grooming herself. Natsu and Gray now ten years of age were hiding in the shadows and preparing to sneak up on her and give her a jump scare. Natsu crept up from the bushes while Gray slid down from the tree trunk. They were mere centimeters away from Erza when she said...

"Don't even think about it you two."

"How did you know it was us?" Natsu asked.

"I'm your mother I know everything. Now don't you boys have anything better to do then try to upset me?"

"We could always fight." Natsu said looking at Gray and cracking his knuckles.

"No. You two are brothers that means you're family And what do I say about fighting with family?"

"Your family is your ally not your enemy so it's wrong to fight them." Both of them said.

"That's right. Now run along, play, hunt, do whatever but no fighting and please stay out of trouble."

"Yes Mom."

The boys ran off the edge of the river where banna trees grew. While Natsu would sit up in the trees and try to eat as much bananas as he could, Gray would spend hours swimming in the cool river.

"Why don't you come in for a swim Natsu?" Gray asked. "The water's great."

"You know I can't swim Gray."

"You could if you weren't scared of the water."

"I'm not scared of the water. I just don't like water."

"You're scared and you know it."

"Am not!"

"Are to!"

"Am not!"

"Are to!"

"Am not!"

"Are to!"

"Well at least I'm not scared of the red flower like you are."

"Hey my fear is rational. Every animal is afraid of the red flower. Every animal except Jellal because he can make it."

"Well he won't be the only one for long. Someday I'm going to make the red flower."

"You idiot only dragons can make it."

"How do you know I'm not a dragon?"

"You're not a dragon."

"How do you know? You don't know what I am."

"You're right I don't know what you are, heck I don't even know what I am but I'm positive that we're not dragons."

"Why do you think that we're not dragons?"

"You've seen Jellal right?"

"Right."

"Okay then you know that we look nothing like him. He has scales, fangs, and talons. We don't."

"Then maybe we're tigers like Mom."

"Well we have fur like she does but it's only on our heads and we don't have claws or a tail. Come to think of it how come Mom has never told us what we were?"

"How should I know? It's not like she ever said anything to me. Oh wait I think I have a good idea on what we are."

"What?"

"Well monkeys have paws and feet like we do right?"

"Yeah."

"So maybe we're monkeys."

"You know what I think?"

"What?"

"You're a moron."

"Hey!"

"I am not a monkey! I do not eat bugs that I find in my fur and I don't throw poop! Ugh!"

"You like to climb trees like them."

"So does Mom but she's not a monkey. Here's an idea why don't we just ask Mom what we are when we get home?"

"Okay, okay, so what do we do until then?"

Suddenly they heard the proud, trumpeting calls of the elephants and felt the ground shaking motion caused by their footsteps as they marched through the jungle. The boys looked at each other and grinned mischievously.

"Time to scare the elephants." They both said.

Another thing that they liked to do was frighten the elephants because they were rather neurotic and sometimes senile creatures. Erza had told Natsu and Gray many times to leave them be but something about an elephant's proud and pompous nature seemed to just annoy them to the point of where they couldn't help themselves.

The elephants divided into different groups. One group went to the right to much on tree leaves and grass while the second went to the left to get water at the river. Natsu chose to scare the group of elephants on the right. He hid in one of the bushes then at just the right moment he released a mouse that he had caught earlier that morning.

"Mouse!" One elephant squealed in terror.

"Run for your life!" Another bellowed.

Soon they were all in a running frenzy. Natsu burst out laughing and rolling around on the floor.

Gray had gone after the ones on the left. As they were drinking from the river Gray hid himself in a tree and made a cry that sounded exactly like the growl of a predator.

"Tiger!" One elephant cried.

"Bear!" Another shouted.

"Wolf!" A third screamed.

Gray laughed so hard that he almost fell out of the tree. He then climbed down to meet Natsu.

"How did it go?" He asked his salmon haired brother.

"Better than planned."

"Sweet and since Mom is out hunting in the West part of the jungle she didn't see us."

"She didn't see you but I did."

The two boys froze with fear when they heard the chilling voice of their mother's mate Jellal. They turned around to find the blue dragon glaring at them. He changed into his anthropomorphic form, grabbed them by their waists, and carried them under his arms back to the den where he dropped them at Erza's feet. She could tell by the enraged spark in her mate's eyes that her boys had caused trouble.

"Oh no. What did they do this time?" She asked.

"What do you think? They were frightening the elephants again!" Jellal told her.

"Natsu, Gray what have I told you two about doing that?"

"We were just joking around." Natsu said.

"Do you have any idea how dangerous it is to frighten a heard of elephants?! You could have started a stampede and gotten someone killed!" He shouted at them. "But do you care?!"

"Jellal that's enough. I will handle it." Erza said.

"No! Of course you don't! Because you're selfish and you only care about your own wants and needs! Not anyone else's! You don't care about who you hurt!"

"Jellal I forbid you to speak to them that way!"

"What they did was dangerous!"

"Yes and I will reprimand them for it I promise you! But they're children! They don't mean any harm! They just don't understand! But they'll learn!"

"It's been ten years and they're still causing trouble!"

"You need to calm down."

"Don't tell me to calm down! Every time I see those two they're always doing something dangerous! If you didn't care so much for them I swear I'd-"

"Jellal that temper of yours is going to get you into a lot of trouble someday!"

"Temper?! Erza you haven't seen my temper yet! And as for them! When are you going to realize that they'll never be any good to us?! That it's in the nature of creatures like them to just take and destroy!"

"One more word Jellal and I swear I'll scratch your face off! Get out of here and don't come back until you calm down!"

She growled at her mate, he growled back but she stood her ground so he ended up leaving and going somewhere to cool off. Once he was gone she looked back to see Natsu and Gray huddled up together in a corner, absolutely terrified.

"Are you scared?" She asked. They nodded. "Good now you know how those poor elephants you frightened feel."

After that day Natsu and Gray never bothered the elephants again but they were confused and curious about what Jellal had said.

"Mom." Gray said. "What did Jellal mean when he said that it was in the nature of creatures like us to take and destroy."

"Don't pay any attention to him especially when he gets angry like that. He doesn't know what he's talking about." Erza told them.

"Why does he hate us Mom?" Natsu asked.

"It's not really you two that he hates."

"Then who does he hate?"

"He hates the ones who stole his wings."

"Who are they?" Gray asked.

"It's complicated. I'll tell you someday, for now let's just eat."


	4. Chapter 4

A few days later the boys had developed a craving for mangoes but they didn't know where they grew. Well they thought they knew and they bickered about it.

"I'm telling you they grow on the other side of the river." Natsu said.

"Wrong they grow over by the cliffs." Gray argued.

"Okay let's make a bet. You go over to the cliffs and see if you can find mangoes, I'll go search across the river. Whoever's wrong has to groom the other guy for a week."

"You're on."

The boys shook on their deal and went off in seperate directions. Natsu hurried over to the river, it was shallow there so he could just walk across to the other side. Walking further down that way he found some trees. Licking his lips, he climbed up the first tree and began searching for mangoes. Sadly he didn't find any but just before he could he saw something headed his way. Thinking that it could be a predator he stayed hidden in the tree. The figure grew closer and closer, he was expecting it to be a bear or a wolf but it wasn't. It was something that he had never seen before. He wasn't sure what it was, it didn't look like any animal that he had ever seen.

It had no claws, fangs, scales, talons, wings, feathers, or a tail. It had fur but only on it's head like him. In fact it's body looked a lot like his and Gray's. What was it that he saw? It was a little girl with blonde hair and big brown eyes. She wore a choli and a skirt and on her head she was carrying a jug. Curious about her, he quietly followed her but remained hidden in the bushes. She stopped at the edge of the river. He climbed up another tree so he could see her better.

He watched her cup her hands into the water and pour little droplets of it on to her head. Then she started fixing her hair and ringing it out. Once she was done she began to fill her jug with water from the river.

"Father was wrong." She said. "Here I am at the river and nothing terrible has happened to me."

Natsu could tell that she was speaking but he didn't understand the language she spoke. He leaned out a little further to get a better look at her however by doing that it allowed the girl to see his reflection in the water. She looked up at him.

"Hey didn't anybody ever tell you that it's rude to spy on people?"

Suddenly the branch he was sitting on broke and he fell right into the river. Lucky for him though it was the shallow end so he didn't have to worry about drowning. The girl laughed.

"That's what you get for spying."

Natsu quickly picked himself up and started to hurry back to the other side.

"Wait! Don't go over there!" She called. He stopped at the sound of her voice. "Come back! Don't go into the jungle! Don't you know it's dangerous?"

He didn't understand a word she was saying. He just stood there looking confused. After a few minutes he went back to the other side of the river and into the bushes. She sighed and put her jug full of water on top of her head and started to walk away.

"Lucy!"

Natsu was startled by a frightening noise and then a large man wearing a bandhgala suit seized her by the arm.

"I told you to stay away from the river!" He told her.

"But Father I was only getting some water." The girl said.

"You are not allowed to leave the village! Ever! Is that clear?!"

"Yes sir."

He didn't understand at all what they were talking about but he could tell that the man was angry. He pulled the girl along causing the jug to fall from her head and roll down to the edge of the river spilling all the water out.

"Father my jug!" She said.

"Come along Lucy!" The man ordered.

"But Father I dropped my jug!"

"Leave it Lucy! We have plenty more jugs!"

Once they were gone Natsu came out from his hiding spot, picked up the jug, and refilled it with water. He decided to return it to her.

He followed the trail that the man and the girl took which led him to a place he had never seen. He thought that it was another kind of jungle, one with no trees or grass and the animals who roamed in this jungle looked like him and Gray. They all had no fangs or claws or talons or scales or wings or feathers or a tail and they all only had fur on their heads. However most of them were a lot bigger than he was.

"Wow. Gray has got to see this."

He would have rushed back to find his brother and tell him that he had found a jungle with animals that resembled them but he remembered why he came to this strange jungle in the first place. He searched for the girl until at last he saw her at the window of a house. She looked sad. Why was she so sad? Was it because she had been forced to leave behind this thing called a jug?

"What are you doing here?" She asked him.

He still couldn't understand her but he could tell by her confused expression that she wanted to know why he was here. He answered her question by presenting her jug to him.

"Oh my jug. Thank you."

She took it from him but he could see that she was still sad. He wanted to cheer her up. Whenever his mother Erza was sad he would try to make her laugh by juggling fruit. There wasn't any fruit around but there were some pebbles on the ground. He picked some up and started juggling them. The girl smiled and she looked amused.

"Wonderful." She said clapping.

He was glad that he had impressed her.

"What's your name?" She asked.

He didn't respond.

"What's wrong? Can't you speak?"

Not a word came from his mouth.

"Why don't you speak? Are you mute? Or deaf?"

He really wished that he knew what she was trying to say.

"You poor thing you must be deaf. I know you can't hear me but still I thank you very much for returning my jug to me."

"Lucy who are you talking to!"

The angry man came back and when he saw Natsu he came out of his house and grabbed him roughly by the arm.

"What are you doing here boy?!" He demanded.

Natsu didn't answer due to not understanding him and due to his fear of the man's anger.

"Answer me! Why are you here?!"

Still he could not answer him.

"You dare to ignore your chief?! How insolent!"

"Leave him alone Father!" The girl cried.

The man moved to strike him but Natsu acted fast and bit the man's hand as hard as he could. He shouted in agony and released the boy. Natsu then ran back down the trail and across the river. His heart pounding in his chest. He had never been more frightened of anyone or anything in his life. Not even Jellal scared him as much as that man did. True Jellal had often raised his voice at Natsu like that man did but he had never tried to strike him like that. Him or Gray.

Once he was sure that he was safe from that odd jungle he started to make his way home. Suddenly he heard the sound of thunder cracking and looked up to see the clouds darken. It was going to rain. He needed to find shelter until the storm cleared up. He found an old den that had been abandoned by whatever animal that used to live there. He sat there and waited for the rain to clear up.

As he waited he began to think of the girl he had seen. He wondered what she was and why her hair was the color of the sun? Why were her eyes like that of a young doe? Why did she smell so sweet?

It was getting darker and still the storm would not clear up. He realized that he was going to have to spend the night here. He hoped that Erza and Gray wouldn't worry too much about him when he didn't come home that night. He made himself a soft and cozy bed of leaves which he quickly fell asleep on them.


	5. Chapter 5

When Gray had made it to the the cliffs he found a tree full of mangoes.

"Looks like I win the bet." He said to himself before climbing up the tree. After picking as many as he could carry he decided to take a look out on the view from the treetop.

He saw something at the edge of the cliff that wasn't there the last time he had been there. It was a bridge and on the other side of the bridge he saw two unfamiliar animals. One was big and one was small but they were both young. Gray couldn't really make out exactly what they were from where he was sitting but they were human. He heard voices and tried to listen to them but like Natsu he could not understand the language of man.

"Can I cross the bridge Gajeel?" The small one said.

"No Juvia." The big one said.

"Why not? They are some pretty flowers over there."

"But that bridge leads right into the jungle and you know how dangerous it is over there."

"I won't go far."

"No. Now I told you that you could come with me on my nature hike but you have to do what I say. If you don't I'm taking you back to the settlement."

"Why do I have to listen to you?"

"Because I'm older than you. You're nine and I'm fifteen that means you have to listen to me when Mother and Father aren't here."

"You're so bossy."

"I don't want to argue Juvia. Now listen I have to scout the area for Alvarians. You stay here until I get back."

"Can't I come?"

"No it's too dangerous. Now wait here, don't cross the bridge, and stop being a little pest!"

"I'm not a pest!"

Gray had no idea what on earth they were talking about. It all sounded like a bunch of gibberish to him. He watched as the big one left. When it was gone the little one went across the bridge.

"Those flowers are just a little ways from the bridge. I'll pick some for Mommy and then be back across the bridge before bossy Gajeel comes back."

When the small one made it across the bridge Gray could see it better. He didn't know what it was. It was an animal obviously but he didn't know what kind it was. He noticed that it was very pale and that it had blue hair like Jellal but it's eyes. It's eyes were an unusual color. They weren't brown like Erza's or green like Jellal's or black like Natsu's or gray like his. They were blue. Blue like the river or the rain. Just what kind of creature was this?

Well the creature he was looking at was a young human girl. She wore a satin dress, white stockings, shoes with laces, and a ribbon was tied in her hair.

He watched it bend over and start picking lily flowers.

"Mommy will love these."

He wondered how this thing would respond to him. He jumped down from the tree startling her into standing up and turning around to face him. She stepped back a little when she saw him.

"Who are you?" She asked. "And where are your clothes?"

He didn't answer because he didn't know what it was she was asking. He began to take notice of her body. She only had fur on her head like him. He wondered if she had claws or talons. He held his hand up, she held her hand out expecting him to shake it but instead he just pressed his hand against hers. They were exactly the same. No claws or talons. They only difference was that hers was paler than his.

"Why are you touching my hand like that?"

But he still couldn't answer. He wanted to see if she had scales or wings or a tail so he started to study her arm. Feeling uncomfortable she pulled her arm from him.

"I think I should go now."

But at that moment a snake bit her leg.

"Ouch!"

She let out a small scream then kicked the snake away. With in a few seconds she succumbed to the snake's venom and fainted. Gray immediately went to her aid. Lucky for her, Erza had taught him how to deal with snake bites and he managed to suck the venom out of her leg.

"This animal isn't very adapted to this jungle." He said.

He heard a clap of thunder and realized that it was about to rain. The girl was still unconscious and she felt cold. He needed to get her somewhere warm and dry before the rain started. He carefully slid one arm under her neck to support her head and then slid his other arm under her knees. He lifted her up and carried her as he looked for some shelter. He found a nearby cave that was on the cliff and chose to rest there for the night.

As she laid unconscious he started to study her. Her skin was so soft and it bore no scales just like his. He checked her back, she had no wings and no tail. He opened her mouth, no fangs. She was just like him and yet he sensed that there was something about her that made her different from him.

She started to stir and she looked at him dazed and confused. She moved her hand toward his chest and touched the pendent of his necklace. She opened her mouth to speak but just passed out again. Her body started shivering, Gray laid down next to her, put his arm around her, and pulled her closer to him. He was using his body heat to keep her warm. He wasn't sure what this thing was but he couldn't let it freeze to death.

By morning the storm had cleared and he awoke to hear that strange gibberish again only this time it was louder. He looked outside the cave and saw that the big animal from yesterday had crossed over the bridge. It was a teenage human boy wearing a coat and trousers, in his hand he carried a gun. He looked scared and sad.

"Juvia! Juvia! Juvia where are you?!"

Though he couldn't understand his words he knew that he was looking for the girl. He made a noise to get his attention then he gently shook her awake. She opened her blue eyes and stared sleepily at him. When Gray saw the teenager coming he quickly left the cave and went to hide.

"Wait!" The girl called after him.

"Juvia!" The teenager immediately picked her up when he saw her. She put her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. "Thank God you're okay! I was so worried!"

He held her close, using one hand hold her back and the other to hold her bottom. He was crying. Gray had never seen a male cry before, assuming this thing was male. If it was female then it was the ugliest female he had ever seen.

"Gajeel I don't feel so good." The girl said.

"It's okay. It's okay. Come on let's go home and I'll take you to see Dr. Dreyar. He'll have you feeling better in no time."

"Okay."

He watched them walk back across the bridge.

"Gajeel?"

"Yes."

"Do you believe in angels?"

"I guess why?"

"Because I think an angel saved me last night. He was so warm."

"You were probably dreaming. God I swear I'll never let you out of my sight again."

When they were gone Gray came out of his hiding spot. He needed to get home right now or Erza would end up just like that big animal, worried out of her mind. No doubt she was going to kill him for not coming home last night. He started to leave but stopped after he spotted something in the cave. It was the ribbon that had been in the girl's hair, it must've fallen out while she was laying down.

He picked it up. It was soft and it smelled just like her. He decided to keep it and give it back to her if he ever saw her again. He couldn't wait to tell Natsu about her. Imagine his surprise when he would tell him that he had found an animal that was just like them.


	6. Chapter 6

When Natsu and Gray returned to the den Erza as expected was worried and angry.

"Where have you two been?!" She asked angrily. "You were gone all night! I was worried out of my mind!"

"We're sorry Mom. We meant to come home but we had to take shelter from the storm." Natsu said.

"You should have been able to come home before the storm started unless you wandered off. Where did you two go?"

"I went to the other side of the river." Natsu said.

"I went over to the cliffs." Gray said.

"You know you're not supposed to cross the river or go up to those hills! I've told you both this from the time you could learn to walk! It's dangerous!"

"We're sorry Mom." Gray said.

"Sorry? Oh you two haven't begun to be sorry!"

Not coming home last night had been the final straw for Erza. She had spent the whole night before scared out of her mind that something terrible had happened to her boys, though she was relieved that they came home alright she was very angry that they once again disobeyed her so she made sure that they would never scare her like that again.

She made them bend over a fallen tree and spanked their bottoms with a switch she made from the thinnest tree branch she could find. It didn't really hurt them, it only gave them a brief stinging sensation but it was enough to where they learned their lesson.

"Well I think it's safe to say that I won't be crossing the river again any time soon." Natsu said rubbing his bottom.

"Mom's never been that angry at us before." Gray said. "We must've really scared her."

"I didn't think Mom was afraid of anything."

"You're wrong." Erza said. "You boys have no idea how much the thought of losing either one of you scares me. If I ever lost you two I don't know if I could ever go on. Promise me that you will never do anything like that again."

"We promise." They said.

Erza put her arms around the boys and hugged them close.

"I love you." She whispered. "You are my boys and I love you more than anything in the world."

At night she tucked the boys into their beds made from leaves and waiting for them to fall asleep. Natsu slept on his back clutching his beloved scarf which resembled dragon scales while Gray slept on his stomach curled up into a little ball. She kissed her sleeping boys then went to get some rest.

"You really love them don't you?" Jellal asked.

"They mean everything to me."

"If I may ask when are you going to tell them?"

"Tell them what?"

"What they really are and where they came from?"

"I will tell them when they are old enough to understand."

"What happens if they see a human before you tell them?"

"As long as they stay away from the cliffs and don't cross the river I won't have to worry about that."

"And what makes you think that they won't do that?"

"After the spanking I gave them they wouldn't dare do it. At least not for awhile."

"You can't keep the truth from them forever Erza."

"I don't intend to. I'll tell them when they're ready. Now go to sleep."

Natsu and Gray didn't go back across the river or to the cliffs again and they didn't mention their encounters with the humans to each other or Erza. They thought it would be best to just pretend that it didn't happen. As the years went by the boys became more and more adapted to the jungle and their survival skills became more advanced. They befriended some of the animals of the jungle too. They're friends included the goblins, the curilies, the bakshies, and of course the exceeds. Two exceeds in particular were especially close to the boys. Happy a laid-back, optimistic, fun-loving, friendly, playful yet sometimes slothful blue cat exceed and Panther Lily a dignified, humble, wise, responsible, strict, yet slightly pessimistic panther exceed.

When Erza had to go scouting or hunting she would often assign Happy and Panther Lily to watch the boys and to keep them out of trouble. Happy would mostly watch Natsu and the two would spend their days goofing off, having fun, and stuffing their faces.

"Can't catch me Happy!" Natsu teased as he ran through the jungle. He jumped over roots, climbed trees, and swung from vines. He was a fast runner but in the end Happy and the exceed managed to catch him.

"I win." Happy told him. "So do you wanna play again?"

"No let's get something to eat. How about some bananas?"

"No I'm sick of bananas. Let's go fishing."

They went down to the river where Happy used his paws to catch the fish while Natsu used a spear.

"What's that?" Happy asked Natsu.

"It's something that Gray made. It's supposed to make picking fruit and catching fish easier for us."

"Cool. Can you make stuff like that?"

"Yeah. I made something that helps me get water easier."

"I wonder if I can make things too."

Lily would mostly look after Gray and he would try to teach him and guide him.

"Now tell me what are the only reasons we kill for?" The exceed asked the boy.

"To eat and defend." Gray answered.

"Do we ever kill for sport or anger?"

"No. Never."

"Correct. Remember Gray we only kill to live and no other reason. Any other reason is why."

"What happens to animals who kill for anger or sport?"

"Then they are banished from the jungle and sent to live in barren land, exile."

As they learned more about how to live in the jungle and as they grew closer to the animals, the boys found themselves being content and living almost perfect lives. But sometimes when they were alone they would wonder about the strange creatures they had seen that resembled them. They had so many questions about them but they did not know where to get the answers so the two would just have to wonder.

Eight years passed and the boys grew up to be strong and resourceful young men. Erza was proud of them. They still tended to cause mischief but not as much as they used to.

"Give me back my scarf you stupid monkeys!" Natsu demanded to the monkeys in the trees who had stolen his scarf.

"Come up and get it champ!" One monkey teased.

"He ain't no champ! He's a chump!" Another teased.

When the monkeys just laughed at him, the eighteen year old man angrily climbed up the tree after them.

"You flea bitten thieves! Just wait til I get my hands on you! Happy after em!"

"Aye sir!" Happy scurried up the tree with him. "Fork it over you flat nosed, little eyed, creeps!"

The monkeys responded by throwing a melon at Happy's face.

"Now just try that again you!" He said only to be pelted in the face again by another melon.

"I got an idea." Natsu whispered to his friend.

Natsu started to gather up some pebbles from the river then pulled some vines and leaves from the trees. He tied the vines and leaves together, making them into a sling and started to sling the pebbles at the monkeys. He had excellent aim and didn't miss once. In the end he successfully retrieved his scarf.

"Wow this thing is pretty neat Natsu." Happy said looking at the sling. "How do you come up with these great ideas?"

"I don't know. They just come to me."

"Can Gray make stuff like this too?"

"Yeah. He once made something from the leaves that can play music."

"Cool. I wish I could think of ideas like that but all my brain is good for is thinking about fish. How come you and Gray can make that kind of stuff but nobody else can?"

"I don't know."

"Oh hey look there's Gray now."

Happy pointed over to a tree and at the top of it sat Gray sharpening his spear. Natsu grinned mischievously and started to quietly climb up the tree. Without warning he pounced on top of Gray and started wrestling him.

"Ha! Looks like I win this time Gray!" Natsu boasted.

"No fair! I wasn't ready!" Gray threw his spear aside and soon had Natsu in a choke hold. Natsu broke loose and the young men were soon fighting over dominance.

"Honestly why must you two always fight?" Asked Panther Lily as he groomed himself in a rather dignified manner.

"Don't be such a killjoy Lily." Happy said. "Let em have their fun."

"There's fun and then there's foolhardy."

The young men continued to wrestle until suddenly a loud noise broke through the air. It was a noise the neither Natsu or Gray had ever heard before but it made Happy and Panther Lily shudder.

"What was that?" Natsu asked.

"Man is in the jungle." Lily said.

"Man? What's man?"

"It's the most dangerous creature ever to exist."

"They're the only animals other than the dragons who can create the red flower." Happy said. "We better go hide."

"Why do we have to hide? Why can't we fight it?"

"Because it would be foolish to do so." Lily said.

"Go home guys and avoid man as much as you can." Happy said.

Happy and Panther Lily hurried off to hide. Gray started to walk home when Natsu stopped him.

"Wait Gray why don't we see what this man looks like?"

"I don't know."

"Aren't you curious?"

"I must admit it does sound interesting. But if it's that dangerous and Mom found out we went near it she'll kill us."

"What Mom doesn't know can't hurt her."

"But she knows everything. No matter how hard we try we can't hide anything from her."

"That's when we were kids. We're older now and smarter and we can take care of ourselves better."

"You have a point there. Okay let's give it a try."


	7. Chapter 7

The strange noises were going off in different directions, one on the left and one on the right so Natsu and Gray decided to split up and investigate separately then meet back later to report what they found. The noise on the route Natsu had taken led straight to the river and it was coming from the other side. Now Natsu knew all too well that if he crossed the river and Erza found out he would be punished big time. But his curiosity overcame his fear of punishment. He just had to know what that noise was. He just had to know what this thing called man looked like. So he crossed the river to the other side. He had just gotten to the other edge when he heard that noise again and he heard footsteps coming his way. He darted into the bushes to hide.

The first thing he saw frightened him a little. It was a middle-aged man with a beard wearing a bandhgala suit. Natsu recognized him as the mean and angry creature who had tried to strike him eight years ago.

"Where did that miserable old bear go?" He asked holding his gun up.

He seemed more mean and angry than before.

"Father wait."

He saw another creature step forward behind the mean and angry one. It was a young woman with hair as golden as the sun, wide brown eyes, and cherry red lips. She wore a green choli, a dark pink lehenga with a matching dupatta, and her feet were sandals while bracelets of gold were on her wrists. Natsu had never seen a creature so majestic and fair in his entire life and she seemed so much more gentle and sweet than the man in front of her.

"Father we have plenty of meat to dine on back home." She said. "Why are you still hunting?"

"Lucy I do not attend to eat the bear. I plan to mount him on my wall as a trophy."

Natsu listened to their conversation the best he could but he didn't understand a word that either of them were saying.

"Father that's cruel."

"No my daughter it is not an act of cruelty. It is a way to show the village my strength and courage."

"Father you are the chief. The people of Alvarez respect and obey you, why must you hunt for sport to prove yourself."

"So that no one will try to rebel against me and to show those Fiorians who rules this land."

"This war with Fiorians is ridiculous. Were our people not once friends and allies with them before? What happened?"

"They poisoned my priest and his wife because we refused to provide them with more land to steal. Now we must fight until they leave."

"Can't you just try to make peace with them?"

"And look like a weak fool in the eyes my people? Never! I showed these people compassion before and they ungratefully stole our land and killed our people. You are just a child Lucy, you cannot possibly understand how dangerous and evil these people are."

"I'm not a child Father. I'm seventeen, practically a woman. Why must you treat me like I'm so juvenile?"

"That is enough! Lucy return to the village. I shall be home before sun down."

"But Father-"

"Now Lucy!"

She sighed.

"You never listen to me."

She walked from the middle aged man. Natsu followed her. He had the strangest feeling that he had seen the woman before. In fact he was sure that he had seen her before but he couldn't figure out when and where he had seen her.

"I don't like this jungle." She said to herself. "It's frightening here. I don't get how hunters can spend all day in this terrible place. Not to mention there are all those scary animals like spiders and snakes and wolves and dragons and tigers."

Natsu could tell that she was upset but what was it that had upset her so much. She angrily went through the jungle trying to find her way back home when she stepped on some leaves which were covering a hole. She fell down the hole and let out a scream in the process.

"Ow!" She cried. "Where did this come from? Oh great another one of those hunting traps. Hopefully there's nothing dangerous down here."

On cue a python appeared. A large, deadly python. Lucy froze, her heart was beating like a drum, she was absolutely paralyzed with fear. She couldn't move, she couldn't speak, she couldn't even breathe. What was she supposed to do? If she moved it would surely attack her but it would attack her eventually if she stayed here. The python moved to coil her with it's tail when a hand sized the python by it's neck and pulled it away from her. The hand that had come to her aid belonged Natsu.

The python immediately turned to it's attention over to Natsu. The muscular young man and the dangerous reptile glared at each other, both of them positioning to attack the other. The python moved to attack first but Natsu was ready for him. He dodged his snapping fangs and grabbed hold of his jaw. The woman watched as they wrestled for dominance. At last the fight ended with Natsu twisting it's neck so hard that he snapped it, killing the python instantly.

He turned back to the young woman. Her face was ghost white and she was trembling.

"What...How...Did you do that?"

Natsu could see that she was talking but her words sounded like utter nonsense to him. Seeing her this close up, she now seemed more familiar than ever.

"Who are you?" She asked.

He didn't know what she was but he could tell that she was young and that she was female. He sniffed her. She smelled so clean.

"What river does she bathe in?" He thought.

"Why are you sniffing me?" She asked.

What an interesting body she had. Her paws and feet were like his and she had fur only on her head. He touched her hair, then started touching her arms, shoulders, and hands. The back of her right hand bore a pink mark that was in the same shape as the red mark on his shoulder and the blue mark on Gray's chest.

"Would you please stop touching me? My father won't take kindly to me being touched by some strange man in a loincloth."

What were those two things on her chest? They were huge and they looked puffy. He didn't have those on his chest and neither did Gray. But why did she have them? Curious, he gave those swollen things on her chest a squeeze. The woman screamed and smacked him right across his face. Natsu didn't realize it but he had just groped her breasts.

"Pervert!" She cried. "You're lucky my father didn't see you do that because if he did he would have put a bullet through your head!"

Natsu now understood that she was angry but he didn't know why. Despite knowing of her anger toward him he still wanted to know more about her. He started to touch her face.

"What are you doing? Cut it out!"

She had such big brown eyes. They were bigger than Erza's and he thought that they were cuter than hers too. Big brown eyes. Like that pretty brown eyed creature he had met as a boy. Come to think of she had the same blonde hair as that creature too. Wait a minute was this female the same creature he had encountered back then? Yes. Yes it was her.

"Why are you looking at me so strangely?" She asked.

She had grown so much. He didn't expect to ever see her again especially not after all this time. He put his ear to her chest and listened to her heart beat. It sure was fast.

"Yes that's my heart." The woman said.

"Haaarrrr!" He shouted.

"Don't shout."

"Haaarrrr."

"Yes heart. That is my heart."

"Haaarrrr...Heart. Heart."

"So you're not mute you just don't speak my language. However I can tell by the mark on your shoulder that you're Alvarian. How is it that you're Alvarian like me but you don't speak my language? Then again I've never seen you in the village before. Where exactly do you live?"

"Na..." He said.

"Na?"

"Na...Na..."

"Na? Na what?"

"Na...Na...Natsu."

"Natsu. Natsu." He said pointing to himself.

"Oh I see that's what they call you."

"Oh I see?" He pointed toward her.

"No. That's not my name."

"No that's not my name." He repeated.

"My name is Lucy."

"My name is Lucy."

"No. Lucy. Lucy. Lucy." She said pointing to herself.

"Lu...Lu...Lucy?"

"Yes Lucy."

"Lucy. Lucy. Lucy. Lucy." He kept repeating her name over and over again while jumping around excitedly.

"What kind of man are you?" Lucy asked. "Apparently one who doesn't like pants. Though I must admit you are attractive and have these sinewy arms of a god! Wow! Oh! Get a hold of yourself Lucy you're acting like you've never seen a man's body before. How silly of me to- Whoa! What are you doing now?"

He took her into his arms, jumped up as high as he could, then clung to a vine which he used to climb out of the pit.

"Oh well thank you."

Natsu wanted to stay and learn more about Lucy but he realized that it was getting darker. He didn't want to face Erza's wrath if he stayed out all night again. Once he knew for sure that Lucy was safe he left to go back home.


	8. Chapter 8

Gray had been led over to the cliffs where that old bridge had been. Part of him flinched at the memory of Erza's anger the last time he went there. He was just about to go back when he heard two more strange noises but this one sounded familiar to him.

"Gajeel you trigger happy lunatic! Give me that gun! You're scaring everything away!"

"Let go Juvia! Before you hurt yourself!"

"Oh I knew I shouldn't have let you come with me on this. With you shooting your gun off every five seconds I'll never finish my report."

"Hey we made a deal. I let you go into the jungle to do your nature report only if I come to protect you."

"But I haven't seen one animal since we've been here and it's all your fault. I swear if I fail Dr. Dreyar's class I'm blaming you."

"Well excuse me for trying to keep my little sister safe. But I'd rather have you fail a class than eaten by some savage beast and another thing I-"

Gray was confused and annoyed by these loud noises that didn't seem to make any sense. He sensed something coming his way. He quickly went to hide in a nearby tree. The figure came closer and closer and closer until at last he could see it. Was this man? If it was then he had seen it before although it was a long time ago he would still recognize it if he saw it.

It was a young woman. About seventeen years of age, she had wavy mid-length blue hair, fair skin that was the color of lillies, pink cheeks, and deep blue eyes that were like bluebells. She wore a white blouse, a pale blue taffeta skirt with a matching ribbon in her hair and laced boots on her feet. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.

"I knew I could give Gajeel the slip. He's not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer." She said. Just then a brightly colored bird flew over and perched itself on a branch. She pulled out a sketch book and started to sketch it. "What a beautiful bird, I wonder what species it is."

Once she finished sketching it's picture she started to write down a description of it. When that was done she spotted some monkeys, insects, and other interesting animals. Gray watched her sketch the animals and write down descriptions of them in her book but he didn't understand at all what she was doing. Why was she making a bunch scribbles in that rectangle shaped thing while elevating? Wait a minute, elevating? It was then Gray realized that the young was being pulled up and up until she got stuck in a large spider web but she was too busy scribbling in that thing to notice.

"This is amazing. My report is sure to please Dr. Dreyar with information like this. No doubt I wouldn't have be able to see all these wonderful animals with my gun slinging brother around. Ah...Achoo!" It wasn't until she sneezed that she finally became aware of where she was. "Oh my! How on Earth on did I get up here? Okay Juvia don't panic you have just suddenly found yourself trapped in a rather big web suspended about ten feet from the ground. Well it's a good thing I'm not afraid of heights."

She flipped the pages in her sketch book and started to scribble more stuff down.

"I wonder what kind of spider could have spun this web. Let's see possible size of such a creature, calculate the radius, multiply by pi, extract the square root, carry the one, the arachnid would be roughly-"

A shadow fell over her. She looked up and saw a giant spider hovering over her. It's yellow eyes and sharp fangs dripping with hunger for her.

"Monsterous!" She dropped her sketch book in shock. "Oh dear! Oh dear! Oh dear! Well I suppose there's only one thing to do at a time like this...Help! Help!"

She screamed, the spider moved closer to her. Ready to bite down on her head and eat her alive or paralyze her until it was ready to eat her later. But before it could touch her Gray stabbed the spider with his spear causing it to retreat in pain. He then pulled her from the web, scooped her into his arms, and carried her down to safety.

"Well this has been a very interesting afternoon. Assaulted by a giant spider and then rescued by a naked man. Quite unusual for most people but I- Naked man? Oh my goodness!"

She blushed red and started to run away from him but he blocked her. He wanted to take a good look at her.

"What are you? Well it's obvious you're a man...A very well built one but your apparel is unsettling." She said. He started to touch and sniff her hair. He did the same thing to her arms and her legs. "Sir all this touching is most inappropriate."

Her words sounded like nothing but gibberish to him so he just continued to study her. He took notice of her clothes and started to pull on her skirt.

"Okay now that's taking it a little too far. Get off, get off." He lifted up her skirt and saw a blue mark on her thigh. "Get off!"

She kicked him away sending him backwards but he didn't stop there. Now he was more curious than ever. Her mark was exactly like the one on his chest, it was even the same color. Blue. Blue like her eyes. Blue eyes. He had seen those blue eyes before and they had previously belonged to a creature that looked similar to her only it was smaller. Was this creature the same one he had met eight years ago?

He leaned closer to her.

"Mind your boundaries sir or I shall have to use force." She said. Fair skin, blue eyes, and a ribbon in her hair. It was the same creature only now he realized that she was female. "Alright you asked for this."

She moved her hand to slap him but he caught her wrist. He then pressed his own hand against hers just as he had done when they had met as children. The young woman prepared to slap him with her other hand but stopped when she had the strangest feeling that she had seen this man before.

"Um...Have we met?" She asked. "I'm sure that I would remember meeting a man who only wears shorts and has such very lovely Gray eyes."

"Gra...Gra...Gray." He said recognizing his name being said.

"Yes that is the color of your eyes. A very nice color if you ask me and- Oh you do speak. That's good."

"Gray. Gray."

"Yes that's your eye color."

"Gray." He said pointing to his chest. "Gray."

"Is that your name? Gray? Oh I like that name."

"Na...Name?" He said in confusion.

"Yes name."

"Name. Name. Name." He pointed toward her.

"No my name's not name. It's Juvia. Juvia."

"Ju...Ju... Juvia."

"Yes I'm Juvia. Juvia."

"Juvia."

She nodded just then Gray heard that strange noise from earlier and it startled him into running off to hide.

"Wait!" She called.

"Juvia there you are." A man dressed in an army uniform, wearing glasses appeared. "You're brother has us looking everywhere for you."

"I guess I wandered off a little." Juvia said.

"You're not supposed to go off into the jungle alone. You're a very naughty girl."

"I understand that which is why I'm going home now."

"Allow me to escort you back."

"That's not needed Sargent Yura."

"Juvia we've been through this before call me Invel and I most insist that you let me escort you back."

"No thank you."

Gray was watching them from the bushes. He didn't know what they were saying he could tell that this man was making Juvia uncomfortable and when he saw that man grab her by the arm he came out from the bushes and pushed him away from her.

"Why you little savage! How dare you attack an officer of Fiore!" The be speckled man said angrily. "And what have we here? An animal? An animal that needs to be taught some manners."

"Be careful Invel." Juvia warned him.

"Don't worry Juvia I'll protect you."

"Actually I think that's what he's trying to do."

The man swung a fist at Gray but he dodged his attack. He swung another fist but once again Gray dodged it. This went on until Gray caught his fist and kicked him into the river. Juvia's hand went to her mouth and she struggled not to laugh. Several more men in the same uniforms then appeared and tried to fight Gray but he just threw them all into the river.

Gray then heard the roar of Panther Lily calling him. He left in the direction of the roar but stayed behind long enough to see Juvia be greeted by a gruff, black haired man in a uniform who hugged her and he could tell that she trusted him so he didn't worry and started to return home.


	9. Chapter 9

"Gray there you are." Panther Lily said when he returned.

"What did you call me for?" Gray asked.

"I noticed that you had left some recent tracks that weren't leading toward the den. I was worried that you had gone to where man was."

"I did."

"What?"

"I met one of them."

"Did it hurt you?"

"Not it she and I've met her before once. But she's different now. She's beautiful."

"Are you crazy?"

"Lily why didn't you tell me that these creatures looked like me and Natsu."

"What do you mean?"

"Well I-"

"Gray! Gray!" Natsu called running toward him. "You won't believe what I just saw."

"What?"

"I saw man and they look just like us."

"I believe you. I saw them too."

"I also met one of them. She was female, at least I hope she was."

"Did she look female?"

"Yeah. Her fur was the color of the sun and her lips were really red and she had the prettiest brown eyes. If you ask me there's nothing prettier than brown eyes on a female."

"I don't know. I think blue eyes are more beautiful."

"Blue eyes? What are you talking about? Eyes are either black, brown, or green. Nobody has blue eyes."

"You're wrong. I met one of them today too and she was also female and her eyes were blue."

"Blue eyes?"

"Bluer than all the bluebells in the jungle and her fur was the same color. Her skin was so white and her cheeks were really pink."

"Wow. Did you see any others?"

"Uh-huh. About three more and I'm pretty sure that they were male but they didn't seem very nice. And that first one who kept trying to punch me sure was ugly."

"You wanna see ugly? You should've seen what I saw. I think he was male and he was old and ugly and mean too. Meaner than Jellal."

"Yikes. Hate to meet him."

"But what's really weird is that look just like you and me. Well not all of them look exactly like us, that female had two things on her body we didn't."

"What's that?"

"These puffy, swollen balls. I touched one of them and she slapped me. Apparently they're not supposed to be touched."

"The female I saw had em too but I didn't touch them."

"Smart move."

"Say did she have a mark that was just like yours anywhere on her body."

"Yeah except it was pink. Did she have one?"

"Mmm-hmm and it was exactly like mine, shape, color and everything."

"Can you believe that there are actually animals out there who look like us?"

"I didn't even know they existed. I thought that we were the only ones."

"Hold on you mean Erza never told you?" Panther Lily asked.

"Never told us what?" Natsu said.

"Oh...Um... Nothing."

"What? What's going on?"

"I shouldn't be the one to tell you this. You should talk to your mother about this."

"About what? What are you talking about?" Gray asked.

"I have to go now. Goodbye."

"Wait a minute!"

But he was already gone. Natsu and Gray were confused. Had Erza been keeping secrets from them? No. No she wouldn't do that. Still they wondered.

"Are you boys okay?" Erza asked them later that evening. "You've hardly touched your dinner and normally I have to break up the fight you two have when you wrestle over who gets the last pig carcass."

"Mom have you been keeping secrets from us?" Natsu asked.

"No. No of course not."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I tell you both everything...Well except for what I do when I go off with Jellal every full moon but that's none of your business."

"Mom what he means is do you know if there are creatures out there who look like us?" Gray asked.

She became quiet for what seemed to be like an eternity before speaking again.

"I knew but I wasn't keeping it a secret from you. I was just waiting for the right moment to tell you. I've been dreading this day for years."

"Mom what is it?" Natsu asked.

"Natsu, Gray, I love you both as you were my own sons but you're not my blood. You were born to humans."

"Humans?"

"That's the proper term for man. Eighteen years ago I found you as infants recently orphaned. Natsu you were all alone in a basket by the river and Gray I found you in the arms of your mother as she lay dying on the ground."

"My mother?" Gray said.

"The one who gave birth to you. I didn't know her long but I could tell by the tears in her eyes that she loved you very much and that she felt guilty for dying because she didn't want you to be alone."

"And my father? Did I have a father?"

"I don't know. I just found her."

"What about me?" Natsu asked. "What about my birth parents?"

"I don't know about them either. It was just you. No one else."

"Was I abandoned?"

"I can't say for sure."

"Why didn't you tell us this sooner?"

"I wanted to but I wasn't sure if you were ready for it and I was...I was afraid."

"Afraid of what?" Gray asked.

"I was afraid that once you learned that I wasn't your real mother you...You would hate me...That you would leave me."

"Oh Mom we could never hate you." Natsu said.

"And you are our real mother." Gray said.

The two hugged the tiger woman who had loved and raised them for eighteen years.

"But Mom I want to know where I came from." Gray said.

"Me too." Natsu said. "I want to know why I was left alone in the jungle? Who my birth parents were? And what exactly I am."

"I know." Erza said. "I know."

...

"He was so strange Father." Lucy said to Jude the chief. "He was looking at me as if he had never seen another human being before."

"Who are you talking about Lucy." Jude asked.

"The man who saved me from that python Father. Haven't you been listening?"

"Sorry dear. Tell me more about this man."

"Well he was very strong and he couldn't speak, either that or he's dead because he wouldn't talk to me. Everytime I asked him a question he just looked at me like he didn't understand me and he wasn't wearing any clothes."

"What?!"

"I mean he wore a loincloth but that's it."

"Did he...Do anything?"

"Well." Lucy blushed. "No he didn't do anything. He's Alvarian Father but I've never seen him in the village before."

"Perhaps he's really a spy for the Fiorians."

"If he were then why would he save me? The daughter of a chief? Besides he had a red mark on his body. Fiorians only have blue, green, purple, and black marks."

"Still I want to meet this man. Find out just who he is and where he comes from. You say that you found him in the jungle?"

"Yes."

"Give me a description of him and I'll have my men search the jungle for him."

"You won't hurt him right?"

"Of course not I just want to talk to him."

"I don't think he can understand us Father."

"I'll make him understand. Now what does he look like?"

"Well he has salmon colored hair, black eyes, a very muscular body, and he wears a loincloth."

"Thank you dear."

"Remember don't let your men hurt him."

"I won't."


	10. Chapter 10

Gray looked down at the ribbon in his hand. It was white and had a cursive J embroidered out of blue thread on it. It was the same ribbon that had fallen out of Juvia's hair when he had tended to her after she had been poisoned by that snake. He had been meaning to return it to her and he figured that maybe she might be able to help him find out who he is. He didn't know where she lived but he had a good feeling that it was somewhere across that old bridge. He went up to the cliffs and walked across the bridge.

He found a trail and it led him straight to the Fiore settlement. Everywhere he looked he saw creatures who looked like him and Natsu. They all dressed so modestly. He understood why they hid their body parts that identified what gender they were but why did they cover the other parts of their body? Putting that thought aside he began searching for Juvia. He made sure to avoid the men in uniform because they attacked him last time.

After looking around for awhile he finally spotted her. She was looking out the window of something he had never seen before. In his mind it was either a giant cave or a giant den but in actuality it was a manor. Unfortunately there were men in uniform every where. He needed to create a diversion and at the moment the perfect opportunity arrived.

Several of those men were leading an elephant through the street which was carrying cargo. He made a roaring sound which frightened the elephant into going rogue. The men in uniform quickly went to calm the large animal down. Leading them was a very gruff and muscular man with black hair. Gray recognized him as the man who Juvia hugged the last time he saw her.

"Bloody elephants! Get a hold of yourself!" He said to them.

While they were all distracted by the disturbance Gray climbed up the manor walls and went through the window of Juvia's bedroom.

"What are you doing here?!" She gasped when she saw him. "I implore you to leave at once. It is very inappropriate for a a gentleman to be alone in a lady's room especially when he lacks clothing."

Gray held up the hair ribbon he had brought.

"Is that for me?" She held out her hand and he dropped the white ribbon into the palm of her hand. She looked at it skeptically. "Where did you get this? This was my favorite ribbon when I was a little girl. I used to wear it in my hair all the time but I lost it one day after wandering off into the jungle. Funny thing, I had a weird dream that day. I dreamt that a little boy saved me and helped my brother find me."

As she tried to remember the boy from her supposed dream she realized that Gray and the boy shared many similarities. Same black hair, same gray eyes, same blue mark on the chest, same chain with the sword through the stone pendent around his neck. At first she thought that it was a coincidence but then she quickly realized that with that many similarities it couldn't be just a coincidence.

"Are you him? Are you the little boy?" Gray still didn't understand her. Her hand went toward his chest and touched the pendent on his chain. "It is you. Oh my goodness. I thought that I had imagined you. Wow...You sure do look different but in a good way."

She was surprised by how much he had grown. He was so tall and strong and very, very handsome. The most handsome man she had ever seen. She found herself blushing real hard as she gazed at his muscular chest. She had never been this close to a shirtless man before.

Gray wondered why she was looking at him so strangely. Then again that's what he had been doing to her ever since they first met. But what really puzzled him was that her cheeks were turning red and she seemed flushed. What was making her like that? Was it him? Was he making her uncomfortable? What did he do?

There was a sudden knock at the door.

"Juvia are you in there?"

"Oh no it's my brother!" She cried. "If he finds you here he'll kill you."

She quickly pushed him down and pointed under her bed.

"Go under there." She told him.

Her words were a foreign language to him but he could tell that she was in a panic and he understood what she wanted him to do. He crawled under bed. It was a tight fit but he managed to squeeze in there. She then went to open the door.

"Gajeel what brings you by?" She asked.

"I thought I saw a man sneak into your room."

"A man? In my room? Gajeel what kind of woman do you think I am?"

"I don't mean it like that Juvia."

"I know I was just kidding. You know Gajeel you really shouldn't worry about me so much. I'm not a child anymore."

"But you're still my little sister and I promised Mother and Father that if you were going to live here then I would keep an eye on you. I know you want more independence but this place isn't like Fiore. It's much more wild and dangerous."

"I know that Gajeel. I just- Gajeel no! Don't sit there!"

"What?"

But her warning came to late and he sat on the bed causing the mattress to crush on top of Gray. He let out a shout in pain.

"Ahhh!"

"What was that?" Gajeel asked sitting up.

"Now Gajeel don't get angry." Juvia said.

Gray crawled out from under the bed. Gajeel immediately pulled out his gun.

"Don't move!" Gajeel said.

"No don't shoot!" Juvia protested.

"Why is he here?"

"It's not what you think!"

Sensing danger Gray bolted out the window and started climbing down the wall. Gajeel sounded the intruder alarm for his men to hear. The soldiers underestimated how agile Gray was. He successfully climbed across the roof tops and dodged the bullets being fired at him. Their running speed was also not nearly as good as his.

"Wow he sure is fast." One of the soldiers asked.

"Is he even human?" Another asked.

"I don't know but if we let him get away. He was in the bedroom of the captain's sister."

"Oh no if that's the case then Captain Gajeel will show no mercy on him."

"No kidding. Remember what happened to that poor private who flirted with her. Now that was scary."

The chase seemed to be never ending but Gray managed to give them the slip. He was just about to make his escape when he was knocked unconscious by Invel hitting him in the back of the head with his rifle.

"Nice try wild boy." He sneered.

He and the other soldiers then dragged his body to the jail cell and locked him in there.


	11. Chapter 11

Natsu wondered where Gray was and why he had been gone for so long. When it started to get dark he decided to go look for his brother. He was beginning to worry about him because it wasn't like Gray to wander off and stay away for so long.

"It is peculiar for him to be gone for such a long time." Panther Lily.

"Yeah it's not unusual for you Natsu but for Gray definitely." Happy said.

"You don't think something's happen to him do you?" Natsu asked.

"I don't know."

"I better go find him."

Natsu began searching the ground for Gray's tracks. He spotted some by some tall grass. He had just dropped down to sniff them when suddenly a net was thrown on top of him and he found himself being restrained by a group of men. Men being led by Jude.

"That's it men! Don't let him get away!" Jude ordered.

Surprised and angry, Natsu started to fight back by snarling and biting at them. He successfully managed to throw two men off of him but four more only came back to hold him down. They dragged him across the river and to the village. All the villagers gathered around to see him. Once they were in the village square they cut him loose from the net. Natsu immediately tried to escape but the men held his arms and legs, allowing the chief to study his face.

"Who are you young man?" He asked him but Natsu could not answer. "Answer me! I command you!"

Still he didn't answer.

"How dare you ignore your chief."

He raised his hand to strike him but when he brought it to his face Natsu bit it.

"Ahh! You wretched man! You shall be punished!"

"Father stop it!"

Lucy came running through the crowd and stepped between Jude and Natsu.

"You said that you wouldn't hurt him! You said that you were only going to talk to him!" She said.

"Well apparently he considers himself to superior to speak to his chief."

"Father he doesn't understand. He doesn't speak our language. I don't think he's ever lived around here."

"He hasn't." One man spoke up. He was middle aged, tall and muscular man with shoulder-length orange hair and a stubbly beard. He was Gildarts, a man who served as a jungle guide to the people of Alvarez. "I recognize the scars on his arms and legs and the points on his bones. They are from living in the jungle, he is a wild boy."

"Are you certain Gildarts?" A woman asked.

"Positive. This boy has been raised by animals and is ignorant of the ways of man. We must be kind to him, release him!"

"Release him? Are you mad?" Jude said. "If what you say is true then he is dangerous. Look! He has the evil eye!"

"Nonsense! I see no evil in this boy's eyes. All I see is confusion and fear. He needs help."

"He needs to be locked in a cage."

"He's not dangerous Father." Lucy objected.

"Go home Lucy!" He commanded his daughter.

"Not until you let him go. Father he's done nothing wrong, he saved my life."

"This boy saved the life of your daughter and you repay him by treating him this way." Gildarts said. "You have a funny way of showing honor and gratitude. Let's not forget our tradition says that if someone does you a service chief you must repay them."

The other villagers nodded in agreement. Jude glard at Natsu then back at Gildarts.

"Very well Gildarts, you are right. But I can't just let some savage man run loose in my village."

"Then turn him over to my care. I shall shelter him in my home and try to teach him our ways."

"As you wish."

Natsu was released. He tried to run but Gildarts grabbed him. Natsu was amazed by how strong the bearded man was. He had the strength of a bear. He fought to break free and he snarled at him but dropped his angry demeanor as soon as he felt Lucy's hand gently touch his shoulder.

"It's okay Natsu." She told him with a smile. "Gildarts only wants to help you. He won't harm you. Here I'll go with you to Gildarts home."

"You will do no such thing Lucy." Jude said.

"Father please. He's scared and confused but he trusts me. Let me go with him so he knows that he's safe."

"I'll make sure that this man does her no harm." Gildarts said.

"He won't hurt me. Please Father."

"Very well Lucy but return home as soon as possible."

"Yes sir."

Natsu did not trust any of these men but he did trust Lucy so when she placed his hand in Gildarts's hand he realized that she was trying to tell him that this orange haired man could be trusted so he went with him. The three of them went to a small house built from tree wood and red clay.

"I'll make a bed for him, you get him settled." Gildarts told Lucy. "Also give him this."

He handed her a cup of hot liquid.

"What's this?" She asked.

"It's broth I mixed it with some herbs that should make him sleep. He needs rest and I have a feeling that he won't sleep easily tonight."

"Okay."

Lucy led Natsu over to a chair and sat him in it.

"I'm sorry for what my father and his men did to you. I don't know why he went after you but if I had known that he was going to bring you here against your will I would have never have told them how to find you."

Natsu smiled at her, she smiled back.

"I have to go home now but I'll see you again when I can."

She started to leave but he grabbed her hand.

"Don't worry I'll come back."

She gave him the cup of broth. Natsu sniffed it then started to drink it. It wasn't long before the herbs started to kick in and he began to feel sleepy. He eventually fell asleep in the chair. Later Gildarts came in and placed his body in the extra bed he had made up.

"Thank you so much for taking him in Gildarts." Lucy said. "This means a lot to me."

"It's no trouble at all. I've been pretty lonely since my daughter moved out and got married. In a way his spirit reminds me of her. There's a lot of fight in this one. I still can't believe that he actually bit the chief."

"He is very wild but I feel like that there's a more gentle side to him. I mean he saved my life and he hasn't done anything to hurt me. I can't believe what my father did to him. I do love him but I really don't understand his methods."

"You're not the only one."

"Will you be okay with him tommorow morning? I could come back."

"I can handle him. Trust me if I can wrestle a dragon then I can definitely keep him under control."

"Alright."

She gave Natsu's sleeping form one last glance before leaving Gildarts's house and returning home. She hoped that tomorrow would be a better day for Natsu.


	12. Chapter 12

Gray's unconscious body was dragged down to where the Fiorians kept their prisoners in jail. Before locking him up Sargent Invel and his men decided to interrogate him unfortunately for them he was still unconscious.

"So do we just wait for him to wake up or do we wake him up ourselves?" Invel asked.

"Allow me Sargent." Said Lieutenant Bloodman. The beastly man stood over Gray's unconscious body and started to roughly shake him. "Come on! Wake up!"

It woke Gray and the first thing he did was kick Bloodman in the groin.

"Ahhh!" He shouted clutching them.

Gray got up and tried to run but Invel and the other soldiers managed to over power him and force him into a jail cell. He tried to break out, he was strong but the iron steel jail bars were stronger.

"What are we to do with him Captain?" Invel asked Gajeel.

"Try to figure out who he is and why he was in my sister's bedroom."

"Should we use force?"

"No. My sister wasn't harmed so there's no need for violence."

"Are you sure sir? Because he kicked me in my lower area." Bloodman said.

"Oh...Hmm...Keep him in his cell, interrogate him but be civil with him."

"Of course sir." Invel said.

Gajeel left the jail. Invel and Bloodman turned their gazes toward Gray.

"You heard him lieutenant. Interrogate him but be civil."

Bloodman grinned vindictively at Gray and kracked his knuckles. Gray gulped nervously. Later that evening when Juvia found out what had happened to him she immediately rushed over to Gajeel's office.

"Gajeel why is that boy in jail?" She asked him.

"He broke into your bedroom, the little pervert."

"Gajeel it's not what you think. He doesn't know any better and I wasn't in any danger. He's gentle and harmless."

"Tell that to Lieutenant Bloodman's lower area."

"Excuse me?"

"Nevermind anyway what do you mean he doesn't know any better? It's not like he's a child."

"But he doesn't know our ways. He was raised in the jungle by wild animals."

"A human being raised by savage wild animals? That's the most ridiculous thing that I've ever heard of. Where did you get such an outlandish idea?"

"From me." Entering the office was Dr. Makarov Dreyar. A superv doctor and scholar who had been a long time friend to Gajeel and Juvia's family. "And Captain I assure you that it is not an outlandish idea. It's the truth and it proves my theory correct."

"What theory?"

"That wild animals can be social and nurturing creatures, possessing a more gentle and soft side unseen by man."

"Huh?"

"What Dr. Dreyar means Gajeel is that he believes that some species of animals can be more welcoming toward humans than others." Juvia explained. "And he and I were wondering if you would allow us to reeducated him in the ways of man."

"Leave you alone with some wild man? Out of the question!"

"He won't hurt me Gajeel. In fact he's saved my life twice."

"When?"

"Well do you remember that time I wandered off when I was a little girl? When you found me I told you that I thought an angel had saved me but it wasn't an angel it was him. Of course he was just a little boy back then and the second time he saved me was just a few days ago from a giant spider. That's twice he's come to my aid and I believe the best way to reward him is to help him. Also I won't be alone with him. I'll be with Dr. Dreyar."

"Juvia he's not exactly the best choice for a bodyguard."

"Hey! I maybe old but I can still take anyone!" Makarov defended.

"I will be perfectly safe Gajeel and I owe him my life."

"Not to mention it is a rather fascinating approach." Makarov said. "Helping him become civilized will not only be an excellent way to repay him for saving Miss Juvia's life but it'll give me proof that humans and animals share common behavior. Let those professors at the University laugh at me now."

"You're really excited about this huh?" Gajeel said.

"Yes sir."

"Very well but if you must help this man keep a gun with you in case he goes savage."

"I don't think that will be necessary." Juvia said.

"Either keep a gun with you or he stays in his cage."

"Fine but if you ask me it's completely uncalled for."

After working it out with Gajeel and she and Dr. Dreyar set up a place where they could teach Gray. Juvia then hurried down to the jail where Bloodman was beating him almost half to death. He had tried to fight back but Bloodman was unlike anything he had ever encountered. He was like some horribly violent monster who fed off of other people's pain and suffering.

When they heard the door to the prison corridor open he immediately stopped beating him and left his jail cell.

"Hello Sargent Yura, Lieutenant Bloodman." Juvia said.

"Juvia what are you doing down here?" Invel asked her.

"Dr. Dreyar and I have discovered that your new prisoner is not a dangerous criminal. He's really a confused man, raised by animals. We are going to educate him in the ways of man."

"But he's vicious and uncivilized." Invel said.

"Then we'll make him civilized."

She took notice of the bruise on Gray's cheek.

"What did you do to him?"

"He did it to himself." Bloodman lied. "He's mad Miss. Totally insane."

But Juvia saw the red on Bloodman's knuckles from where he had punched Gray. She gave him a look of disgust then walked over to the iron bar door of the jail cell. He was hiding in the corner of the cell trembling.

"It's alright." She told him gently. "Don't be scared, I'm a friend remember?"

He stood up and walked over to her. She raised her hand toward his bruised cheek, she had just barely touched it when he flinched away from her.

"Did he do this to you? I'm so sorry, Lieutenant Bloodman can be such a brute."

"Now Miss that's not-"

"Save your breath!" Juvia said to Bloodman angrily. "I know how you treat your prisoners and frankly it's quite appalling. My brother may be a trigger happy, gun slinger but he does not approve of torture or harming someone just for pleasure. Remember that the next time a prisoner decides to 'hurt himself'."

She turned back to Gray.

"I won't let them hurt you, I promise."

He looked at her. Her words held no meaning that he could understand but he could tell by her kind eyes that she meant him no harm and was only trying to help him. He lifted his hand up, she did the same thing, then the two hands pressed up against each other just like they had done twice before.


	13. Chapter 13

The next morning, before the sun had a chance to rise up, Lucy hurried over to Gildarts house. When she arrived she found Gildarts up against the wall while Natsu was throwing dishes at him.

"What happened?" Lucy asked.

"When he woke up, he started to panic." He said.

"Let me try to calm him down."

"Be careful."

Lucy stepped forward, upon seeing the familiar face of the human woman who had been kind to him, Natsu stopped hurling dishes and started to calm himself.

"It's alright Natsu." She told him. "Gildarts is only trying to help you."

"Gil...Gil...Gildarts?" He spoke.

"Yes." She said pointing to the bearded man. "This is Gildarts, he's a friend."

"Fr-Friend?"

"Yes. I'm a friend." Gildarts said.

Natsu looked at Gildarts skeptically, he didn't understand Lucy's words exactly but he could tell by the time of her voice and assurance in her brown eyes that this older man could be trusted. So his tension eased up.

"I suppose you must be hungry by now." Gildarts went to his cupboard and pulled out some fruit and bread which he laid on the table. He and Lucy then stood in silence as they waited for his reaction. He approached the table, looked down at the food, sniffed it, then started to eat it. He ate like a rabid wolf, snarling as he scarfed down his meal.

"Okay that's really gross." Lucy said while trying not to gag.

"Don't worry Lucy I'll teach him how to properly eat after I teach him how to talk."

"I hope so. You know my father thinks that he's no different from a vicious animal but I know that there's so much more to him."

"I believe you but I think that it would be best if you left."

"Why?"

"You're too much of a distraction for him. I need him to be able to focus."

"Is it alright if I visit him later?"

"Yes but not right now."

After finishing up his breakfast, Natsu found himself being taught how to speak human language by Gildarts. It was difficult for him to learn at first and he struggled for quite some time, but eventually he learned how to speak like a man. He didn't just learn on to talk, he also learned how to farm on land, and how to use man made tools. Lucy always visited him during his lessons and Gildarts was an excellent teacher. He became very fond of the young man and enjoyed his company, viewing him as the son he never had.

Natsu also grew close to Gildarts and he became very interested in learning about the life in the Alvarez village. His fascination toward them only grew when he saw their man made tools and weapons like guns and knives.

Now it's not like Natsu lived there all the time. He would go back to the jungle to see Erza and to let her know that he was alright. She didn't like the idea of him being so far from her but she always knew that the day would come when he would want to know more about his species so she wouldn't deny him the chance to learn.

"Very good Natsu." Gildarts said as he watched the young man plow the fields of his crops.

"So what exactly are we growing in this soil?" Natsu asked.

"It's called corn and it's a very popular crop that we grow here."

"Do you eat it?"

"Yes."

"I've never eaten corn before, what does it taste like?"

"It's very delicious and the people around here pay a lot of money for it."

"What's money?"

"It's this." Gildarts showed Natsu a handful of coins.

"What do you do with it?"

"It's used to trade for things like food and clothes."

"Really? You mean with this you don't have to hunt or gather for food?"

"Kind of."

"How do I get money?"

"You have to work to earn it. Speaking of which, can you do me a favor?"

"Sure."

"Do you remember where I showed you where the preist's house is?"

"Yes."

"Good." Gildarts placed some of the coins into Natsu's hand. "Go to the priest and ask for some ointment for my back, when he gives it to you give the money in your hand."

"Okay."

Natsu went to the house of the priest. Now the priest of the Alvarez village had the position of advising the chief and providing medications and treatments for the sick and injured. He was a lot younger than Natsu expected him to be. Judging by what he had been told, he had expected the priest to be an old man but instead he was a young man in his late twenties. He had jet black hair and very cold eyes, yet there was something familiar about him.

"Excuse me, are you the priest?" He asked when entering the house.

"I am Zeref, the high priest of Alvarez." He spoke. "May I help you?"

"I'm here for ointment for Gildarts."

"Oh is his back acting up again?" He grabbed a jar of something from a shelf and handed it to Natsu who gave Zeref with money. "I've never seen you around here before, who are you?"

"I'm Natsu."

"Natsu? Oh you're that wild boy I heard about. That would explain the loincloth."

There was something sad about his demeanor. Sad and angry, true he spoke in a calm voice but his eyes seemed to be overflowing with a great rage.

"Why are you so angry?" Natsu asked.

"Excuse me."

"Your eyes, they hold so much anger. What made you so angry?"

Zeref flinched at his words then was taken aback as if he had been insulted.

"I think you should leave now."

And before Natsu could object, Zeref slammed the door to his house in his face. Natsu wondered why this man was so filled with rage and why he seemed so familiar to him.


	14. Chapter 14

Gray's lessons were a little different from what Natsu was learning. True the Fiorians were going to teach him how to speak but they were also going to teach him how to read and write, they would teach him etiquette, and most of all they would teach him about hygiene.

"Here we go Gray." Dr. Dreyar said leading the wild man into a room where there stood a tub of hot soapy water. "A nice hot bath."

Dr. Dreyar pulled down the curtains in the room and proceeded to strip Gray of his tattered pants much to his confusion. Makarov then had Gray get into the tub unfortunately Gray had never felt hot water before and it made him a little uncomfortable.

"Yipe!" He cried jumping from the tub.

"Dr. Dreyar is everything alright?" Juvia asked after hearing the sound of water splashing around. Her long time family friend then stepped out from behind the curtains dripping wet with both soap and water. Juvia put her hand to her lips to stop herself from laughing. "Are you okay?"

"I am fine." He said. "But perhaps we made the water a little too hot for him."

"Is there anything I can do?"

"If you would be so kind as to bring me more towels I would be eternally grateful."

"Of course doctor."

It took awhile but Dr. Dreyar managed to give Gray a proper bath. Once that was done he dressed him into some proper clothes and began trying to teach him how to read and write. But much like Natsu, Gray was no easy student. Their teachings and methods confused him very much and sometimes it irritated him but Juvia was as patient as she was gentle. She always spoke kindly to Gray and she never lost her temper with him. Truth be told she had an easier time teaching him than any of his other teachers because whenever she was in the room he never took his eyes off of her. Not for one second.

"Ice is cold." He said reading the sentence of an early reader's book that Juvia was using to teach him.

"Very good Gray." Juvia praised. "Now read the next one."

"Water is wet." He read.

"Oh you're doing wonderfully."

"Can I try to write a sen...A sen...What do you call it again?"

"A sentence."

"Right! Can I try to write one?"

"Of course." She handed him a small sheet of paper and a pen. "Now it doesn't have to be anything elaborate. Just simple."

He slowly and with great care wrote down his very first sentence ever.

"All done." He said.

"Let me see."

She took the paper from him and read the small sentence he had written. It was very simple, only made up of three words. But that simple, three worded sentence brought extreme blush to Juvia's cheeks when she read them.

Juvia is beautiful.

"Thank you." She said trying to hide her rosy cheeks. "That's very sweet of you to say."

"Why are your cheeks turning red?" He asked having not much familiarity with the process of blushing.

"Oh it's just blush?"

"Blush?"

"Sometimes when a person feels shy their cheeks will turn red. It's called blushing."

"What is shy?"

"Shy is when you feel nervous around someone or some people."

"Do I make you nervous?"

"Yes. No! I mean...Um...Oh dear."

"Is it because of what I wrote? Did I misuse the word beautiful? Does it mean something bad?"

"No. No you used it correctly. I think you did, I've never really seen myself as beautiful."

"Why?"

"I don't know. I've just never have."

"I think you're beautifuler than all the flowers." He said bluntly.

Her blush grew.

"Beautifuler is not really a proper word. The correct way to say that would be more beautiful than."

"Okay. You're more beautiful than all the flowers."

Her hands went to cover her blooming cheeks and she smiled.

"Ahem!" Coughed Gajeel who had just entered the room. "Am I interrupting something?"

"Oh no Gajeel I was just helping him read. He's doing very well." She said.

"Uh-huh and that's all you two are doing right? Just reading?"

"Of course. What else would we be doing?"

"Hmmm..." He turned to Gray. "I've got my eyes on you."

He left them alone after that.

"What's the matter with him?" Gray asked Juvia.

"Ignore him. He's only being intrusive and overbearing."

"What's intrusive and overbearing?"

"Two flaws that my brother needs to control. But we can discuss those later. Let's get back to reading shall we?"

"Juvia."

"Yes?"

"I miss the jungle. Would it be okay if I went there tomorrow? Instead of doing my lessons here."

"Yes. It would be just fine. Of course you need some time away from these stuffy and boring lessons. I'll inform Dr. Dreyar that you'll be taking the week off to do as you please."

"Would you like to come with me?"

"You mean to the jungle? Alone?"

"No. With me?"

"I don't know. I mean I'd like to but my brother is so protective and fearful for me-"

"I'd keep you safe and I'd bring you home before dark."

"Well..." She thought for a moment. She knew her brother would never allow it but she so desperately wanted to keep spending time with Gray and she did feel safe when she was with him. "Alright I'll go."

"Great! We'll leave tomorrow morning. I'll show all my favorite spots and you can meet my mother."

"Your mother?"

"Uh-huh. You'll love her. She's amazing."

"I'm sure she is. I can't wait to meet her."

The two then sat down and proceeded reading the book together. Unaware that they were being watched by a jealous Invel.


End file.
